Missouri's Largest-Ever Road-Building
Program
To Include Projects to Rehabilitate I-44 in Lebanon Area
MoDOT, District 8, Springfield --
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, meeting in
Springfield Friday, July 8, approved the largest construction
program in Missouri's history -- totalling $7.3 billion. The Statewide
Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) is MoDOT's five-year
plan that identifies transportation projects planned for fiscal
years 2006 through 2010 (July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2010). The STIP
contains several highway improvement projects in the Springfield-Lebanon
region including a plan to rebuild lanes on I-44 east of Lebanon.
Here's a look at the highlights of
the plan:
* Rebuild the eastbound lanes of
I-44 between Sleeper and the Laclede/Pulaski county line -- $12
million
* Widen U.S. 65 to four lanes between
Springfield and Dallas County Route EE south of Buffalo -- $65
million
* Resurface the westbound lanes of
I-44, from the Gasconade River bridge to Route MM/Business Loop
44 at Lebanon -- $1.7 million
* Resurface the eastbound lanes of
I-44 between Webster County Route B at Northview and the Webster/Laclede
county line and the westbound lanes of I-44 between Laclede County
Route A at Phillipsburg and Webster County Route W at Marshfield
-- $2.6 million
* Install guard cable in the median
of I-44 and make other guardrail improvements in areas between
Route 360 west of Springfield and Route 5 at Lebanon -- $8 million
In November 2004, Missouri voters
approved Amendment 3 which will provide an additional $1.7 billion
to MoDOT for much-needed highway improvement projects. The additional
money has allowed planned projects to be accelerated and others
to be added to the five-year plan. Many resurfacing projects are
included in the STIP which will provide smoother pavement on some
of the state's most heavily-traveled roads.
Currently, 47 percent of the state's
major highways are in good or better condition. The additional
funding will allow that percentage to increase to 75 percent by
the end of the five-year plan. Seventy-one percent of the state
highway bridges are currently in good or better condition, and
by the end of the 2006-2010 transportation plan, 75 to 80 percent
of the bridges will be in good or better condition.
"An important element of this transportation program's development
is the extent of local involvement," said MoDOT Director
Pete Rahn. "Local communities have had significant influence
over how their transportation dollars are spent. Local officials
statewide have been a part of deciding which projects will be
built first. We appreciate the help in planning for Missouri's
road and bridge improvements."
The five-year STIP is updated each
year, and as one year of work is completed, a new fifth year is
added. It is available for viewing on MoDOT's web site at www.modot.org
.
(For more information,
call MoDOT in Springfield at 417-895-7600 or toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT.
MoDOT's web site -- www.modot.org .)
